Screening Tests

• HIV 1 and HIV 2
• P24 antigen test

Diagnosing HIV antibodies can be done using:

1. Blood,
2. Saliva,
3. Cells from the inside of the cheek.

Types of tests

• Rapid tests
• Home based tests
• Lab tests

If the first test result is positive, then following test must be done:

1. CD4 Count
2. Western blot test, ELISA, IFA
3. PCR, DNA PCR test
4. Plasma HIV RNA
5. Viral Load
6. Test for drug resistance
7. Medical Examination
8. Lab Tests for infections as tuberculosis (TB), syphilis, hepatitis B.
9. Regular Pap tests for women.
10. XRay, Ultrasound and scans

 

HIV Testing in Infants

CDC recommends that all pregnant women get tested for HIV before and/or during delivery. Knowing the HIV status of the mother allows physicians to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission by providing antiretroviral treatment to both mothers infected with HIV and their newborn infants. However, it is difficult to determine if a baby born to a mother infected with HIV is actually infected because babies carry their mothers’ HIV antibodies for several months. Today, healthcare providers can conduct an HIV test for infants between ages 3 months and 15 months. Researchers are now evaluating several blood tests to determine which ones are suitable for testing babies younger than 3 months.